


please don’t leave me alone with the ghosts - kirukiyo/korerumi

by starrshard



Series: hanging by a spiderweb - kirukiyo bnha/dr [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: 5+1, Angst, Confessions, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, High School, Holding Hands, Kimura Seiko is Tojo Kirumi and Shinguji Korekiyo's Child, Kirukiyo, Korerumi, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, OTP Feels, Rarepair, Shipping, Sleeping Together, True Love, U.A. High School (My Hero Academia), Wedding Rings, Weddings, here's some love for it, i love kirukiyo sm it's my otp, it's just rlly soft and lovely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-10 15:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20854046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrshard/pseuds/starrshard
Summary: Five times Kirumi stayed and the one time she didn’t.Kirukiyo 5+1 story.





	please don’t leave me alone with the ghosts - kirukiyo/korerumi

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).

> This takes place in a My Hero Academia/Danganronpa crossover universe. For Danganronpa-only fans: everyone has quirks/a specific magical power, and Hope’s Peak is a hero school like U.A. (school that trains students to harness their quirks to be heroes/basically police enforcement).
> 
> Kiyo’s quirk is summoning ghosts and Kirumi’s quirk is shooting spider silk from her fingers. Kirumi is still a maid and Kiyo still loves anthropology.

_New school. New people._

Kirumi walked through the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy: top of the charts hero school, one that could rival even U.A. The grand, mahogany stone building towered over her as she made her way, among the other students, towards the massive front doors.

The maid was clad in the plain brown and white uniform of the school’s main course. She held a small suitcase in her gloved hands, which contained all of her supplies. Entering the main course was no small feat; it was well known that the scoring was excessively harsh. Kirumi recalled the multiple tests the entrance exam threw at her; all of her work must have paid off well, as she now stood before the oak gates of the academy.

“Ah, pardon the interruption, but something happens to have piqued my interest.” Kirumi had to admit, she was more than slightly taken by surprise when someone spoke from directly behind her. She turned to see a taller boy, also wearing a brown and white main course uniform. He had long, dark hair, piercing yellow eyes, and a black mask covering his lower face and neck. Bandages adorned his slender hands.

“Apologies for startling you. I was simply curious. That outfit you wear… you must be a member of the main course, no?” he prompted.

“Why, yes, of course. The attire tells all.” Kirumi’s eyes darted sideways, catching on a reserve course student passing by. They wore a black and white uniform instead.

She gazed up at the fellow main course student. _He gives off a sort of…_ militarian _vibe. It seems he should be respected..._

“Indeed. Which year?” the boy continued.

“First.”

“As am I. Would you mind if I accompanied you inside?” He gestured towards the doors of the academy.

Kirumi shook her head, uttering consent. The two made their way up the marble steps and stepped through the doors, setting foot within the revered private school for the first time.

Kirumi stopped at the back of a forming crowd, gazing up at the massive map of the school that had been hung up in the entrance lobby. “Which class are you entering?” the boy further inquired.

“One-A. And you?” Kirumi’s olive eyes landed on her destination on the map. She turned to her new walking partner, waiting for him to locate his room as well.

“The same. It appears we are classmates.” Kirumi tilted her head in slight surprise as she blinked up at him. The boy began to walk towards the hallway that led to the room assignment, turning his head to beckon Kirumi to follow. She complied as such, and the two students made their way towards their homeroom.

“Perhaps fate decided our little run-in just now, hm?” The taller boy now regarded Kirumi with his sharp golden eyes, the nature of his gaze having turned into one of observation, as if he were sizing up his competition. Kirumi side-eyed him; she didn’t mind making a rival, but she wasn’t one to become absorbed in such a partnership.

“My name is Korekiyo Shinguuji. And you are..?”

“Kirumi Toujou. A pleasure to meet you.”

~~~

**1) Studying**

“Umm… what’s this, again?”

“This whole formula?”

“Yeah.”

“Kaito, that is Euler’s Formula. We have been learning it for nearly three months now.”

It was late June. Exams were coming up, and fast; in fact, the math exam the entire class was currently cramming for was just the following morning. The study party was taking place in the common area of the 1-A dormitory, where all sixteen students were spread throughout the room.

Kirumi was trying to tutor Kaito at the moment. Actually, she’d been tutoring since the study party began an hour ago, since practically half the class was relying on Kirumi, Korekiyo, and Maki to help them.

_Where is Maki? Usually Kaito begs her for help…_ Based on a quick glance, the red-eyed girl was busy helping Kaede and Shuichi. Her dark brown hair, usually up in two neat pigtails, was sprawling down her shoulders and back in a cascading wave of chocolate. 

Kirumi sighed and turned back to Kaito. _Remind me why everyone decided to study exclusively on the night before the exam again…_

***

It was 1 am. Almost everyone had gone to sleep at this point, spare for a select few: namely, Shuichi, Miu, Kokichi, Korekiyo, and Kirumi. Shuichi had actually finished a while ago, but Kokichi begged him to stay and teach him something last minute. Miu refused to sleep and was studying by herself next to the two boys, and Korekiyo was reading the textbook again on the couch. Kirumi was cleaning up the kitchen, since the class had decided to pretty much trash the place in their endeavors finding and making snacks.

Kirumi could hear Kokichi, Shuichi, and Miu talking as she finished cleaning and reentered the lounge. She grabbed her own textbook and study guides and decided to settle next to Korekiyo on the long couch and do some studying of her own. She didn’t need to, really; it was just to review before she went to bed.

She gave a murmur of greeting to Korekiyo as she sat down. The two were acquaintances at best; their relationship mostly consisted of studying for classes, possibly sparring in training, and whatever other encounters school alone brought for them. Now, the two sat in silence as they both worked on their own things. However, maybe ten or twenty minutes later, Kirumi felt a weight ease against her shoulder, as if something were slumping against her…

She turned her head and realized, with a small “Eh?” of surprise, that that _something_ had been someone. Korekiyo had evidently fallen asleep on her, his head on her shoulder, golden eyes usually sharp as flint now shut peacefully.

As she watched, frozen and unsure what to do, Korekiyo muttered something incoherent in his light doze and shifted closer against Kirumi, still using her shoulder as a pillow. He’d also evidently ditched his books at the other end of the couch.

_I should probably wake him… but I do not wish to embarrass him by having him wake up on me. Should I carry him back to his dorm, or *gently* shove him off onto the couch and let him sleep? Maybe nobody will notice…_

Of course, as soon as she wished for that, a certain grape-haired boy’s voice rose from the other side of the room. “Hey, Shumai! Look, Kiyo fell asleep on mom.”

“I told you not to call me th-” Shuichi began, before turning and noticing the scene. “Oh. You’re right…”

An embarrassed flush threatened to creep up her neck as Kirumi looked up to see all three of the other students with their eyes glued to her and Korekiyo within seconds. She decided to try and get up, maybe slide Korekiyo off so that she could rid herself of this compromising situation and let him be comfortable. She could just tell him to go to bed after waking him up normally on the couch.

However, as soon as she tried to sit up, Korekiyo muttered and shifted his position to keep his head on her shoulder. “Hmm… don’t go…”

_Alright, fantastic. He’s sleep-talking and out of character, too._

Kirumi began to shuffle away, down the couch, only to find a pair of arms sloppily thrown around her in Korekiyo’s sleep-delusional attempts to confine her to the sofa. Had she not been the one trapped, she would’ve been mildly amused that Korekiyo was moving this much and this accurately all while dozing off.

“Mmh… stay here… it’s warm and soft…”

_He… probably doesn’t realize who I am, nor that I am the warm and soft thing,_ Kirumi decided. A blush spread across her face as she considered the downright bizarre situation she’d found herself in. Across the room, at the coffee table, Kokichi and Miu were trying to stifle their laughter while Shuichi attempted to calm them, although the light smile tugging at his lips betrayed his own amusement.

Kirumi considered pushing Korekiyo off once more, but when she looked down at him warmth bubbled in her stomach. _He looks… peaceful,_ Kirumi thought. His eyes were closed, his face young. He was so often working on one thing or another, never stopping, always studying or reading or accompanying one of his friends in their own endeavors. To see him when he was vulnerable, peaceful, and relaxed like this… it was certainly a rare sight, and a side of himself Korekiyo would surely never allow even his closest friend to see, much less Kirumi, of all people.

She had no wish to possibly intrude on Korekiyo’s privacy, if he considered sleeping such a luxury. But she also did not want to disturb him, when he was so often busy. _How tired, yet determined, must he have been, to fall asleep here?_

Kirumi wasn’t sure how, but she slowly came to the decision to not awaken Korekiyo, for the sake of allowing him to rest. If he really wanted to use her as a pillow, however, she supposed she could deal with that. It was a maid’s duty to fulfil requests, after all.

And so Kirumi stayed. She stayed until she herself grew weary, barely capable of keeping her eyes open, falling asleep with her textbook in her lap and Korekiyo still comfortably nestled against her shoulder.

When she awoke the following morning, Korekiyo was already gone.

~~~

**2) Rooftop**

Over the one and a half years she’d been in Hope’s Peak Academy, Kirumi -now well into her second year- never expected to be dragged into this.

A party.

A party full of alcohol, games, bottles, and much more.

Sure, in hindsight, she should’ve expected this sort of thing, going into high school. Prestigious academy or not, the students were still just teenagers, however brilliant. It wasn’t unrealistic to think some pretty wild shenanigans would go down, both in and out of school hours, especially since all students and staff were allowed to use their quirks -appropriately and safely- anywhere on campus.

Both of the second-year main course classes had gotten together to have a party, and of course that meant _everyone_ was dragged into it. Including Kirumi. She stood by the wall, dressed in a crop top over a high-waisted calf-length skirt, all in dark grays and blacks. She was currently trying to entertain herself -since most of her friends were either drunk and unsociable or busy with someone else- by willing strands of spider silk from her fingertips, winding them together in elaborate weaving patterns before disconnecting it and crumpling the design. 

She was swiftly tiring of her classmates’ antics. _And Korekiyo is nowhere to be found,_ she added silently to herself. For whatever reason, ever since that incident over a year ago when he fell asleep on her, the masked boy was slipping more and more often into Kirumi’s head. It was distracting, especially in class sometimes, but she didn’t want the feeling to go away; the feeling she felt when she silently observed him and sparred with him and thought about him. It was a nice feeling, all warm and fuzzy and honeydrop-sweet.

A sort of sweet that could never become sickening, one she would never tire of.

But she couldn’t feel that now. Not here, when he was god-knows-where with Angie and Rantaro, or something like that. And besides, even if he was here, Kirumi was no stalker. She couldn’t just sit there and watch him. They weren’t anything more than fellow students, either; she could make small talk with him, but there was nothing between them. At least he’d also decided to forget about that late-night incident, so things weren’t _as_ awkward.

No, Kirumi was swiftly tiring of this party. Sure, _maybe_ she could go hang out with Ryouma and Gonta, but she had no motivation to interact with anyone at the moment. She just wanted to get out of this party, out of the heat and away from the crowds of drunken, mindless maniacs these people were slowly evolving into.

And so Kirumi made her way up to the roof.

As she ascended the stairs of the dormitory building where the party was being held, the voices below swiftly became muffled, like the distant buzz of an insect. Opening the door to the flat rooftop of the dormitory building, Kirumi felt the late-summer breeze rustled her hair, enveloping her body in its cool touch. She shut the door behind her, stepping out under the swiftly rising moon. It was nearly full, and the brilliant lapse of light it reflected spread across the city like a blanket.

Walking forwards, towards the roof’s edge, Kirumi took a deep breath. The air was crisp, autumn’s arrival foreshadowed in that wonderfully refreshing gust. She sat down on the raised border of the building top, her feet dangling, skirt rustling in the breeze. She was at ease up here, with nothing but the wind and the dimly lit stars, scattered across the inky canvas of a sky, to keep her company.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there; time seemed to warp as she simply sat and thought. Kirumi gazed out over the campus, the school building, and the light-infested city beyond the academy gates mindlessly, allowing random thoughts to fill her brain. If she was to have nothing to do, so be it. She would do nothing.

However, it wasn’t long before the door behind her creaked open, and someone stepped out lightly onto the rooftop. Kirumi decided to ignore them for the time being; she didn’t feel like talking, not when the world below was so nice and idle, the bustling of the city a distant melody.

But of course she couldn’t ignore them forever, especially when they spoke.

“Kirumi. It seems you have escaped the party as well.”

_I’d recognize that voice anywhere._ Kirumi turned, her eyes graced by the tall figure of the male standing behind her. “I did. A pleasant surprise to see you up here as well, Korekiyo.”

She wasn’t on a nickname basis with him, _of course_ she wasn’t on a nickname basis with Korekiyo. Even after one and a half years of knowing each other, they had never even reached that shallow level of intimacy. Even if half the class called him by his nickname, that didn’t mean Kirumi was included in that half. 

And now, sitting almost-alone on the rooftop under the opal eyes of the skies, Kirumi never felt more selfless, thinking that- not selfless in the context of being a maid and living only to serve, no; she felt selfless as in lacking worth, selfless as in no matter what she could ever do, she would never amount to anything in the brilliant golden eyes of the boy standing here beside her.

Kirumi wasn’t sure why she was thinking that; it was so unlike her to feel such things. Even worse -or better, depending on how you looked at it-, in addition to that hollow pit in her chest, the fuzzy feeling was coming back, rising with every heartbeat that passed between her and Korekiyo.

“Would you mind if I accompanied you?” he asked.

“That would be fine by me.”

And so the pair sat, side by side on the roof, feet dangling over the edge, close but not close at the same time. Kirumi looked down at their hands, mere centimeters away from each other, placed on the stone block edging the space. If she were to move her gloved hand, just a little…

“Kirumi.” Korekiyo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked and gazed at him. “It’s been a long time since we’ve met, no?”

_Where is this coming from?_ “Well, yes. Why bring it up?”

“Despite how distant we are, we have certainly had our part of shared experiences. You know what I am referring to, right?” Korekiyo regarded Kirumi with his usual, unemotional stare, his irises shimmering, luminous; like stars trapped within glass orbs.

Kirumi tensed slightly, the beginnings of a blush lighting up her cheeks. “...of course.” _The time he fell asleep on me, of course he would bring that up now, after a year’s worth of truce…_

“Ever since that incident, this sort of… _feeling,_ towards you, grew within me,” Korekiyo continued. Kirumi’s heart suddenly began beating faster, faster and faster by the moment; if this kept up, she was mildly worried she might faint. “You became… entrancing, so to speak. All of the things I would notice in you, that I would never have taken note of before. I do not mean that in a creepy or bad way, either. Do you understand what I mean?”

Kirumi, slightly stunned, gave a small nod, her wide olive eyes fixed on the golden-eyed wonder she had come to know and- 

_This fuzzy feeling… what should I call it..?_

“After over a year of watching you from afar and admiring you, I…” Korekiyo paused, as if hesitant. He averted his eyes, breaking the glassy link between them, if only for a moment before he returned to her gaze.

“I love you, Kirumi.”

Time seemed to stop. Kirumi’s heart tripped and skipped two beats. She stared, wide-eyed, at Korekiyo, her voice lost. She had never lost her composure like this before, never felt such emotion before; _right, this emotion… Korekiyo has named it for me, it seems…_

Korekiyo gazed back at Kirumi, somehow still managing to stay formal as ever. The light in his golden eyes seemed to flicker, like brilliant, ever-blazing flames dancing within a lantern, pushed and pulled by the breeze. But behind that layer of indifference, Kirumi could see the twirling, anxious thoughts racing around his head.

“I…” Kirumi found her voice, dragging it out of her mouth and over her tongue. “...I love you, too. If that is what this fuzzy feeling is, if that is the correct name for it.” She was still entranced, stunned, her heart thrumming against her chest with no rhythm in mind.

“...so I was right,” Korekiyo mused, his voice hushed.

“Hm?”

“I am no fool,” he murmured. “I know you would observe me, your eyes relaxed yet nervous. You would be so stiflingly polite and formal to me, but out of sight you were like a bird eyeing a snake, too frightened to approach it yet captivated all the same.”

_I would deny that… if it weren’t true. And if Korekiyo hadn’t just up and confessed to me._

“How did you know that? I was sure you never noticed,” she opted to say, hoping the blush adorning her face wasn’t _too_ visible under the moonlight. _How immature of me…_

“Angie told me. She was delighted, you know, watching you fall in love for what appeared to be the first time in your life,” Korekiyo said, a hint of amusement gracing his voice.

“..!” Kirumi felt her voice leave her again. She could physically feel the heat radiating from her cheeks, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he could feel it, too.

“So, based on how you seem to feel, I’d like to ask you something,” Korekiyo continued, seeming to smile under that mysterious black mask of his. Kirumi’s breath abruptly caught in her throat.

“Kirumi. Will you be my girlfriend?”

_Girlfriend._ A title Kirumi had never had anyone refer to her by, much less one she would expect Korekiyo to invite her to take. The whole experience was… sort of surreal. It was like a normal high school thing, something casual teenagers would do.

Something Kirumi would never have expected to fall into. Especially with Korekiyo.

_Girlfriend._

_I like how that sounds._

“Of course-” Kirumi paused. “-Korekiyo.”

“There is no need to be so formal.” His golden eyes were amused, alight with stars. “You may simply call me Kiyo.”

“Kiyo.” Kirumi tested the nickname on her tongue. _Informal. Personal. Casual._

_So many words to describe this situation, and all of it is so not me…_

_I suppose it’s nice, however foreign._

Kirumi felt herself jolted from her thoughts by Kiyo’s soft chuckle, the sound delightful to her ears. “Mmh?” She looked at him, wondering what he was amused by.

“Nothing. You seem as if in awe.” Kiyo smiled under the mask.

“Perhaps I am. I have never been in such a romantic relationship before,” Kirumi confessed, still giddy from the encounter; the smile on her face refused to be stifled.

“If so… let us take it slow, shall we?” Kiyo gazed at her, his golden eyes filled with a flickering sort of warmth she’d never seen before. “Would you prefer to stay up here for the night, or go back downstairs?”

“...I’ll stay.”

They sat on the roof together for at least another hour. Considering their limited and professional interactions, neither of them knew much about the other personally. They talked, for the first time, intimately; divulging personal information and describing their lives outside of academics. It was something Kirumi wasn’t quite so used to, but it was comforting.

_I can be something to him now, worth something in his eyes._

_I think that is all I will ever need…_

~~~

**3) Training**

“I suggest you first try to ensnare the victim with your quirk before entering close combat, if you are not used to hand-to-hand quite yet. Even if your victim were to break free of the silk, it would at least buy a few seconds.”

They’d been dating for three months now. It was early to mid December, and the two second-year classes were scheduled to have a battle competition before Christmas; a more formal assessment would follow shortly after, just before New Year’s break began.

Kirumi was well known among her classmates to set traps and attack from afar. She quickly came to the realization that anyone with just a bit more than a pinch of competitive spirit -and pre-holiday energy- would likely take note of their classmates’ fighting styles and develop ways to work against them. Even the members of class 2-B had participated in past partner drills, assessments, and school events, so they weren’t in the shadows either.

Kiyo decided to work on helping her train for some different techniques; she could unveil them during the competition if her opponent called for it. They were working hard at another one of their training sessions; and by that, Kiyo apparently _really_ meant it.

He, as a primarily quirk-manipulating and close combat fighter, had lots to teach Kirumi. They had been training daily for two weeks now, with one break day per week to rest. The intense, consistent physical activity and quirk usage was really starting to get to her. 

She was decently fit before, but she was pretty sure she was gaining some muscle after all the training. Her limbs ached, but she kept at it, doing her best during training. Just a few days ago she had actually sprained her ankle during a class drill, likely out of exhaustion and lapse of concentration; of course, Kiyo had forced her to forgo training until she recovered fully. And now, after her two-day break, Kirumi was determined to push herself to the limit.

Or past the limit, as she would find.

***

“Good! Aim for my weak spots! Remember what I told you!” Kiyo called, blocking and dodging left and right. Kirumi was punching and kicking, advancing towards him and forcing him farther back. _In an arena, depending on the terrain, I could push my opponent back into a corner, they would be finished by now._

But not in the gym. The room was pretty big, and shoving Kiyo into a corner wasn’t going to be easy anyway when he was aware and kept purposely avoiding such a situation. Kirumi could only hope that in the arena, with the tension higher, her opponent would only be able to block and forget about the surroundings.

She would also have to hope Kiyo wasn’t her opponent. Dating or not, she knew he wouldn’t go easy on her. Furthermore, they’d only crossed a few boundaries of intimacy so far; they were on a nickname and pet name basis (Kirumi would call him Kiyo and ‘dear’, while Kiyo will call her his beloved or something elegant along those lines), and they’d held hands and hugged as well. It wasn’t _that_ intimate quite yet; Kirumi couldn’t count on Kiyo getting distracted by her or going soft during the actual competition.

_This match is taking… far longer than usual…_ Kirumi thought, her limbs aching as she kicked and whirled at him again. Her movements were growing slightly sluggish; she had been keeping her inhales and exhales steady all this time, but she must’ve lost rhythm for a second, because now her breathing was growing heavy. Her chest was suddenly screaming and windpipe burning as she kept trying. _I have to land a stronger hit, before I get too tired..._

Forcing her way through the burning sensation in her muscles, Kirumi pivoted on her left foot and landed a square hit on Kiyo’s ribcage. He stumbled for a split second, possibly taken by surprise by the burst of force. Kirumi took that opening and struck again, this time punching him in her stomach. She jumped forward and pinned him to the ground. She kept his arms out, her hands binding his wrists, one knee against his inner thigh and the other against his own knee.

Kiyo’s golden eyes shone. “Good work, Kirumi. That ending was the best we have had all night.” He relaxed under her grip and began to try and wiggle out.

Kirumi felt a smile slide over her lips, despite her shaking limbs. She released him, breath heavy, and fell back into a sitting position, both legs to her left side and her hands on the ground. She was seeing stars, patches of shadow bubbling across her vision. “How… did I… do?” she got out between panting and trying to blink away the black spots.

“Wonderful. Your disarming kick at the end was perfect.” Kiyo’s eyes took on a look of concern as he sat up and moved closer to her. “Are you okay? Do you need a break?”

_Maybe… I should not have tried so hard_ “I… yes…”

That was the only thing she managed to say before darkness suddenly fell over her and she collapsed against Kiyo, sliding into unconsciousness.

***

When Kirumi first came to, she realized she was being carried.

She half-opened her eyes. Kiyo’s sweet, tangy scent washed over her, and a comforting warmth spread through her body. She shut her eyes again, relaxed and still drowsy. _I suppose I fainted, and Kiyo is taking me back to my dorm… how sweet…_

She slipped away again, but this time into a much more gentle sleep.

***

When Kirumi awoke a second time, she was laying on a bed.

She slid open her eyes and found herself lying in a dimly lit dorm room. She stared at the ceiling, blinking a few times. _Why doesn’t this feel familiar?_

Kirumi slowly sat up and looked from side to side. She was still dressed in her gym attire, the school-issued black and white training uniform. She was in a dorm room, but it was not her own. The lights were dimmed; there wasn’t much in the space, spare for the desk being covered in stacks of books and paper, pens and pencils in a neat little porcelain jar.

She felt something move beside her and press into her hand. She jumped, only to see Kiyo lying beside her, golden eyes gleaming in the pale light as he regarded her. He was also still wearing the training uniform. “Good to see you awake, Kirumi,” he said.

“Thank you.” Kirumi paused and gestured vaguely around them. “Is this your room?”

He nodded. “I brought you here after you fell unconscious. I suppose it is my fault for pushing you too hard, especially after your minor injury. My apologies.” Kiyo averted his gaze to the mattress.

“Don’t be.” Kirumi gently raised one gloved hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I don’t mind. I have to train to get stronger anyway. What time is it?”

“Last I checked, about midnight.”

“Ah!” I’ve been out for that long? “In that case, I should get going to my own room,” Kirumi said, moving to slide off the bed. “Thank you for bringing me down to the dorms.”

“Wait. Kirumi.” She halted as she felt Kiyo’s bandaged fingers close around her wrist. Kirumi turned her head to him; he’d sat up and was leaning towards her. “Why don’t you stay for the night?”

“Eh?” She couldn’t help but be taken by surprise. _Where is this coming from?_

“It’s getting late,” Kiyo replied simply. “You can stay, if you’d like.”

Kirumi considered the offer. _I have never stayed over at another person’s dormitory… much less a significant other’s._

_If I could get closer to him this way, I would do it._

“Sure.” The word was out of her mouth before she knew it. “Wait. Where do I sleep? It’s not like you have a cou…”

_Ah._ Kirumi was sure her face went embarrassingly red when her mind all-too-sluggishly registered what she was digging herself into.

Kiyo chuckled. “Kukuku. I am not against sharing the bed with you. Of course, if the thought makes you uncomfortable-”

“No, no! I just hadn’t thought of it and was taken by surprise,” Kirumi hastily explained, hoping that in the dim lighting of his room, Kiyo wouldn’t notice her blushing face. _How unprofessional of me…_

“I have spare towels, if you would like to wash yourself. Feel free to use any of the soap in the shower rack. There’s toiletries in the top drawer of the cabinet by the sink,” Kiyo offered. Kirumi swiftly thanked him and strode into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

_This is going to be more eventful than I anticipated… not that I'd complaining,_ she mused silently, brushing her teeth, staring at herself in the mirror.

_I wonder what he sees in me that makes him like me. He tends to be vague…_

***

Kirumi stepped out of the humid bathroom, a towel wrapped around her short hair, dressed in one of Kiyo’s shirts and shorts. As she shuffled into the bedroom, Kiyo looked up from where he was typing something on his laptop, sitting at his oak desk. He removed the thin-rimmed golden glasses from his face.

“I used your shampoo and conditioner… I hope you don’t mind,” Kirumi said sheepishly.

Kiyo folded and placed his glasses on top of the now-closed laptop. He got up and strode over to his girlfriend, his bandaged hands suddenly on her shoulders. Kirumi shuddered as Kiyo gently leaned forward and pressed his nose against her temple.

“I can smell it on you.” He pulled back, swiftly tugged down his mask, and pecked her on the ear. “It fits nicely.”

Without another word, the mask was back up and he brushed past her to pick up a bundle of clean clothes. He headed into the shower room, leaving Kirumi to stand in the bedroom alone. The porcelain lamp on the desk illuminated her red-dusted face with a soft firefly glow. She swore she could hear him chuckling in the bathroom.

A short while later, Kiyo was dressed in comfortable sleepwear as he walked out of the shower room. Kirumi was sitting atop the bed, her hair already dry from the towel and hair dryer she had been using. She was fiddling with the edge of the shirt.

“Kukuku. No need to act so stiff; go ahead, tuck in. I’ll be right over,” Kiyo offered. Kirumi nodded and slowly pulled back the covers on the right side of the bed, pulling the blanket over her shoulder and curling up, facing the empty left side.

After a bit of hassle -drying his hair, switching his mask, et cetera- the lights switched off and Kiyo walked over, crawling under the covers. Kirumi felt her heartrate quicken, almost out of instinct. _He’s so close… What do I do?_

She was a maid, capable of doing all sorts of things, from daily household cleaning to specialized talents such as playing the piano or forging signatures to a T. And yet, somehow… Kiyo still managed to render her helpless.

“You seem nervous,” Kiyo observed. “Loosen up. Look at me.” 

His golden eyes- no, golden wasn’t enough to describe them. Kirumi gazed, paralyzed, into Kiyo’s infinitely beautiful irises, shades of yellows, from the sand on a glass beach to the burning intensity of the sun’s yolk. Layers of metallic amber and gold, all melted together and condensed, miraculously, into two shining orbs, confined in the canvas that was his eyes.

Kirumi felt her shoulders swiftly relax, calm spreading through her body. She inhaled softly, warm citrus and a hint of earthen oak wreathing around her. _Peaceful._

As she relaxed, eyes half-lidding, there was a rustling of the covers as Kiyo suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around Kirumi’s midsection. Taken by surprise, her eyes widened as she felt him gently pull her close to his chest.

“...Is this okay?” Kiyo murmured, his head over hers. “I can let go of you if-”

“N-no. I mean, it’s fine,” Kirumi managed to say, her voice going up half an octave. _Embarrassing._ Her face flushed. “This is fine.”

“Are you sure? You sound nervous.”

“No. I’m just surprised… I’ve never done this before,” she admitted softly, crimson blush creeping up her neck. “I told you, I’ve turned down every person who has asked me out before...”

“Okay,” Kiyo murmured, drowsiness creeping into his words.

They laid there in silence, Kirumi slowly melting into Kiyo’s hold. As she pressed her nose into the soft folds of his shirt, inhaling his scent, she tentatively snaked one arm up, throwing it over his back, her hand resting on the small of his back. She felt Kiyo tense for a moment, before relaxing into her touch.

Peaceful quiet enveloped both of them again.

“Kiyo?” Kirumi asked softly.

“Mmh?”

“I’m glad I stayed.”

~~~

**4) Graduation**

The graduation party was mystical.

It was a formal event; the ladies were in dresses, the men in suits. The school ballroom, a massive structure on campus set aside just for the event, was completely decked out. The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast a diamond-like light across the floor tiles. 

Kirumi herself was wearing a snug, long silver dress, simple glossy fabric cascading down to just above her ankle. One side of it was cut, revealing her leg. Loops of spider silk encircled her body, accentuating all the right curves, laced through the fine fibers of the dress itself. A white version of her usual headband adorned her hair, which was styled in a delicate braid crown; styled by Kiyo, actually. He liked messing with her hair, and he was a good learner, so she taught him a few hairstyles.

She stood to the side, fiddling with her diamond-embedded choker. They were about to begin the dance, which was followed by dinner. All of the graduating women, both of the Main and Reserve courses, were standing in a group, including her, and the men huddled together a short distance away. She stuck near Kaede and Maki and all of the other girls of her own class, observing the others from afar.

The orchestra began to play; a gentle, harmonic introduction, silky notes pulled from wooden instruments by the hair of authentic horse-hair bows. All of the students spread out, approaching and joining hands with their partners and leading them into the ballroom. She watched as a certain unmasked man, dressed up in a black and white suit and tie set, hair down, lower face marked with age-old scars, stepped towards her.

“Kirumi.” His voice was silky smooth, his lips pristine, perfect, the corner of his mouth edged by the dull ghost of a gash. A small smile tugged at them. “Will you take this dance with me?”

“Yes.” He gave her a smile bow and wrapped her one arm around her waist, leading her into the ballroom, among other couples awaiting the waltz.

With a glance around, as they entered, Kirumi could identify Tenko and Himiko, Kaito and Maki, and Shuichi and Kokichi already there. She could hear Angie’s trademark bouncing steps behind her, as well as pretty much feel her ecstasy; last she recalled, the islander was on the hand of a silver-haired woman from one of the other Main Course classes.

Kiyo led her to an empty area. He turned her around so that they were face to face, his smooth, scar-laced hands locked with her own ungloved ones, his carefully painted black nails contrasting the pale skin, her rosy fingers delicate, calloused tips rubbing against his knuckles. They fit together like puzzle pieces; perfectly interlaced.

“I’m proud of you,” Kirumi whispered, her voice practically glowing with pride. She smiled warmly at her boyfriend of two years.

Kiyo’s lips tugged upwards; Kirumi gazed at them, gazed at him. She liked being able to see _him,_ the real him, when he wasn’t hiding behind the mask and bandages. His imperfections, his emotions, everything. 

She couldn’t help but find herself falling in love all over again, with this man standing before her, gazing at her with warm golden eyes. _Their light match the smile on his face._

As every couple filed into the ballroom, the music glided effortlessly into the sweet, gentle waltz of the opening dance. Kiyo took Kirumi in his hands; one holding hers, one on her shoulder. He led her into a slow, elegant dance.

She had never felt more at peace, nor has she ever been so _happy_ being with another.

_If I could ever have one selfish thought in my life, it would be to stay in this moment forever._

_I love you, Kiyo._

_To death and beyond._

***

After a long while of dancing -and watching Miu and Mikan trip over their own feet while Kiibo and Ibuki, their respective partners, tried not to let them fall-, it was time for dinner. Class 3-A all sat together, Kirumi between Kiyo and Tsumugi.

After about an hour and a half, it was currently the expected after-dinner socializing hour, where everyone exchanged plans and agency offers, courses they’d be taking in their lives, now that they were out of school. Kiyo had been strangely silent, leaning forward on his elbow on the table, hand up to his face, finger tapping against his upper jawbone, below his temple.

_I wonder what is on his mind…_

“Kiyo?” He started and looked up at her. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Ah. It’s nothing…”

“You seem worried,” Kirumi pushed.

"As I said before, it's nothing." A pause. "For now. Maybe later."

They lapsed into silence; Kiyo turned to Rantaro, who was on his other side; the viridian-haired boy had initiated conversation. A little befuddled by the awkward nature of the words she had exchanged with him, Kirumi turned to Tsumugi instead.

A few minutes later -with Rantaro's enthusiastic pushing, it appeared- Kiyo turned back to his girlfriend and tapped her on the shoulder. The maid started and turned.

"I hope I'm not being too sudden, but... there's something I want to ask you." There was an unquestionable anxiety in his voice, in the downwards quirk of his lips. Kirumi's heart stumbled and skipped a beat; worry twisted her stomach.

"What?"

He paused for a moment, holding her gaze for a moment too long, before blurting out-

“Would you move in with me?”

Kirumi blinked, before a small smile slid across her face. “Of course,” she replied without hesitation. "Honestly, no offense, but I thought you had something more extreme on your mind." 

“Well, there was a chance you'd say no.” He paused, a dopey grin threatening to break through his facade. “Alright, fine, considering how well I know you, maybe I should have just expected you to accept.”

Kirumi smiled broader, leaning over to press a small kiss on his cheek. “You know me best.” She paused, her voice softening. “I’d do anything for you, my dearest.”

Across the table, Miu called out, "That's kinky!" while Kiibo tried to shush her.

Kirumi couldn’t even bother to mind.

~~~

**5) Proposal**

It’d been exactly seven years since Kirumi and Kiyo became a couple.

She couldn’t be happier, waking up every morning in his arms, all of her free time spent with him, relaxing every night with the love of her life at her side.

Both of their jobs were stable and enjoyable; Kirumi kept her job as a maid, although she would sometimes work with Kiyo on his patrols, per his request. Kiyo opened up his own hero agency and pursued a job as a hero, fighting villains and helping to keep the peace in the city.

Kirumi always thought it was heroic, how every day he would risk his life for the wellbeing of the citizens, of others, sometimes coming home covered in bandages, or sometimes shooting her a phone call saying he was at the hospital. On the other hand, she spent every day cleaning and doing paperwork and every other funky job on the face of the planet.

At least it paid extraordinarily well.

The date was August 27, the same day Kiyo asked her out all those years ago, back in their high school days. Of course, in the present day, he was taking her out on a date. He knew she preferred more casual going-outs, for a change of pace from their usual formal jobs. So of course, he took her to a seaside park.

They had a nice dinner at a restaurant by the ocean, before walking down the boardwalk, to a small deserted beach. It was twilight; the stars were just starting to shine, the moon rising above the sealine. Dull violet and hints of crimson were splattered across the sky as darkness descended.

“This is nice,” Kirumi murmured, sitting atop a rock on the silent beach. Kiyo sat beside her, their hands locked together between them. She leaned against his shoulder, his scent enveloping her in its warm comfort. Below them, the tides lapped up the shore, before receding back into the sea.

“Hm,” Kiyo murmured, at ease by her side. Kirumi could stay like this forever, she decided, pressed up against her lover watching the earth turn, isolated away from the stress and bustle of the city.

As the stars began to awaken, come to life over their heads, Kiyo suddenly got up. Kirumi pulled back, remaining sitting on the rock. The sudden loss of warmth from her side made the cool breeze startling against her skin; she involuntarily shuddered.

“Kirumi.” Kiyo turned to face her, now standing. She gazed up at him, at his imperfect perfection, at the scars that the moon made glossy in her growing light.

“I… don’t know how to begin,” he said slowly. “I love you. You’re the most important person in my life. You’re selfless, devoted, level-headed, communicative, and beautiful; all of the best values in a person. You make me feel alive. You are my sun, my moon, my stars, my world.

“And that is why…” She gasped, her eyes widening as Kiyo got down on one knee, producing a small velvet box from his pocket. “Kirumi Toujou, my love-”

His slender, scarred fingers flicked it open to reveal the ring that sat upon a delicate velvet cushion within.

“-will you marry me?”

Kirumi was frozen in time.

She hovered, wide-eyed, gazing upon Kiyo on one knee, _proposing_ to her, a slight, anxious smile on his face, his golden eyes hopeful.

Then tears began to slide down her cheeks, a grin splitting across her face.

“Yes! Oh, Kiyo, yes! I’d love to marry you!” she cried, leaping forward to envelop him in her arms, practically throwing herself on him. Kiyo started, mildly startled by the sudden embrace, before relaxing into her. She heard him chuckle over her shoulder, his arms wrapping over her to reciprocate.

When she pulled back, wiping away the tears dripping from her olive eyes, Kiyo smiled and stood. He delicately removed the ring from the box and slid it upon Kirumi’s calloused left ring finger, before moving back slightly to hold her hand in his.

She stared down at the ring, at the way the starlight glimmered off of the small diamonds encrusted all around the silver band. Even smaller studs of sapphire alternated with the white crystals. The centerpiece on top was a slightly larger -not unpractically so- lilac diamond.

“I thought it was very ‘you’,” Kiyo whispered, slightly choked-up, smiling widely. Crystalline tears were also sliding silently down his face. “Simple, but refined and beautiful. Do you like it?”

“I love it. I love it, and I love _you_ so much..!” Kirumi felt tears well over her eyes again, and she surged forward to bury her face in Kiyo’s chest, his arms tight around him.

“I love you too, Kirumi.”

***

The wedding was beautiful.

Kirumi sighed, slightly relieved to be in silent peace after the bustle that was the afterparty. She had changed out of her beautiful -but mildly impractical- bride’s dress, into a comfy sundress, silk wrap, and shorts, sitting on the wooden swing overlooking the lake at the park.

By her side was Kiyo, dressed in a T-shirt and long pants, his hair down, cascading in wavy locks down his back. He was holding her hand. They wore matching silver bands on their ring fingers, silver bands to signify the wonderful occasion.

The wedding had been private; only their class, friends, and family had been invited. Even with such a small audience, of course Miu found a way to make the after-party insane.

Kirumi didn’t mind much. It was fun; casual, but fun. She recalled pacing in the dressing room, before the wedding began, while Kaede, Maki, Himiko, and Tenko, the bridesmaids, tried to calm her down. She had walked down the aisle, staring at Kiyo under the arbor, at the scarred smile on his face, at the tears slipping from his golden eyes. Kiyo’s warm fingers slid the cool band onto her finger, followed by her doing the same to him. 

Angie wedded them, a grin on her face as she denounced them husband and wife, announced that they could kiss now. Kiyo lifted the veil from before her face to lean down and kiss her.

The afterparty was nice and calm for about thirty minutes, before Miu managed to get drunk -somehow, off of only red wine- and went a bit crazy. She was restrained swiftly, but it was still extremely hectic. Kirumi found it amusing; at the very least, Tenko made sure no chairs or short people were thrown at the bride and groom.

Kirumi also recalled, as they were departing, throwing the bouquet, and it being caught by Kaede. _Rantaro will be happy, if anxious over the prediction,_ she mused now, a smile sliding onto her face.

“Hey, Kirumi?”

“Mmh?” Kirumi lifted her head off of her husband _-husband-_’s shoulder to properly look at him.

“I love you so much,” he said, his eyes sparkling, much like the stars overhead. “My world.”

Kirumi smiled, moving in closer to snuggle against him, feel his warmth.

“I hope we can be together for the rest of our lives. Share our successes, our failures. Laugh together and cry together,” Kiyo continued. “Would you enjoy that? Can you promise me as such?”

“Of course,” She murmured, unwavering and with no hesitation. Kirumi rested her head in the crook of his neck. “I’ll stay forever by your side, my love.”

It was a peaceful night, under the inky sky and the sprawl of stars.

It was a beginning, an end; it was the beginning of the end, yet also the end of the beginning.

Kirumi wanted it to never end.

~~~

**+1)**

_Screams. Shouts. People crying for help._

The city had morphed into a madhouse.

Kirumi dodged the slice of the Insect Villain’s blade-arm, before retaliating with a plume of spider silk, wrapping the sticky white strands snugly around his body, pinning his arms to his sides.

“Pah! You’re a terrible fighter!” The villain writhed and forced his way out of the bounds within three seconds, but it was enough time bought for Kirumi to run down the street a bit farther, farther away from where Kiyo and his agency members were. They were occupied, their hands plenty full with the rest of the Insect’s minions and recruits.

Kirumi was buying them time, leading the alpha of the bugs away.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Kirumi managed to get the Insect down the street, which was completely evacuated of citizens already, thankfully. She stalled, tying him up as swiftly as he worked to break free. There was spider silk all over the place at this point. She silently cursed the mess; she was in her maid attire, not her hero suit, which was designed with the slickness of a spider in mind. It didn’t stick to her own silk.

But today, she was clad in her dress and headband, unprepared for a fight. She’d been on the daily commute, going from one location to the next, when she stumbled upon the scene of Kiyo and his agency fighting the Insect Villain and his gang. She’d jumped in, to lead the Insect himself away from the major battle, make the task easier for her husband and his allies.

But now, on the scene and faced with the Insect alone, she regretted her decision slightly. She was tiring; it’d taken a lot out of her to lead him away. She trained often, pushing the limits of her quirk usage, training her body, but she wasn’t a professionally trained hero, fit to battle. She was just a maid, a part-time hero sidekick at best.

“Getting tired already, maid?” the Insect taunted.

“No,” she hissed. “I’m not going down here.”

_I started this._

_I can’t lose. Not now, not here._

_I have a husband and a daughter to fight for._

She continued to stall, tying and retying the villain. Her fingers were bleeding at this point, red and raw with pain, but she could only keep trying. Trying and fighting and running and running and running-

Then everything stopped.

“...!” She looked down.

There was a blade, covered in red, sticking out of her stomach, clean through her back.

As the Insect pulled back his arm, pain overwhelmed Kirumi. There was a massive hole right through the middle of her midsection. She was swiftly losing feeling; the blade must have shattered her lower spine in the process.

_No._

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no-_

There was blood everywhere. Crimson liquid, flowing in a torrent from the gaping wound. Kirumi gasped in pain as she collapsed, her body crumpling to the ground.

Above, through blurry eyes, she saw the Insect sneer before racing away, down the street, towards the rest of the battle.

As she laid on the ground, blood pooling around her, sticky and rancid and warm, she could only be still and panic and try not to cry.

_I failed. He’s going to get Kiyo. He’s going to kill Kiyo, just like how he killed me, condemned me to death, because Kiyo would think I could keep him at bay, because Kiyo trusts me, he trusts me too much, I’ve failed, I failed him, I failed Seiko, I failed, I failed-_

“Kirumi!” Someone was calling her name. She could hear footsteps now. “Kirumi!”

_It sounds familiar._

“Kirumi, oh gods, there’s so much blood- what happened-?!” Kiyo was all over her, eyes wide with panic. His image was swimming before her eyes. She blinked hazily.

“Insect…” Kirumi murmured. “Kiyo, is everyone alright?”

“Everyone else? We’re fine, Kirumi, you’re not. Worry about yourself for once, please…” Kiyo’s face was a mask of concern as he gazed down at the wound, inspecting it the best he could.

“It’s okay…” Kirumi coughed. She could taste the rustiness of blood. “As long as you’re alright, I’ll be fine…”

“You’re not fine,” Kiyo insisted. “Look at you. Holy… Kirumi, you need to get to the hospital, fast. You’re losing so much blood…” His voice cracked, failed him as he considered the consequences. He looked up, called down the street. Kirumi didn’t bother to make out the words; everything had suddenly became so exhausting.

“They’re calling an ambulance. It’ll be okay. Kirumi, you’re going to be fine. Everything will be fine. It’ll all be okay, and when you’re better we’ll go home together…” Kiyo was practically rambling at this point, rambling to her, his voice desperate; pained.

“Kiyo. Hush.” Kirumi cut him off and he went silent. “I know I’m dying. It’s okay. It’s okay…” Tears suddenly began to slide down her face, as she tried to convince herself of her own words.

As Kiyo raised one of his shaky hands, his fingers covered in blood, _her_ blood, to move to clasp her own, something inside of her finally broke.

“I don’t want to die,” she choked out, her words catching in her throat, sobs wracking what was left of her body. “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to…”

“It’s okay,” Kiyo whispered. “I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much…”

He was crying too. Tears cascaded down his face. Kirumi hated seeing him sad, seeing him crying, seeing him _breaking,_ all because of her. Her and her stupid mistake, her stupid failure.

“Kiyo, dear, please… don’t cry…” Kirumi managed to shape her lips to words. “I love you, too. My own world… since I met you, since that night on the roof, it’s… it’s always been you… and now, I’ve failed you, haven’t I?”

Kiyo didn’t respond verbally; he could only shake his head. He was trying hard to control his hitching breath, control the sobs taking hold of his body. Ignoring the steady trickle of blood from her silk glands, his hand was tightly clutching her own ungloved one, the garment having been discarded when she ran into the fight.

“I love you, Kiyo. Please don’t cry over me… take care of Seiko, okay?” she whispered, her breath catching, tears still sliding down her face, washing away clean lines of blood.

“N-no… no, please don’t leave me… I can’t… I’m scared, Kirumi..! I can’t take care of our daughter, not when you’re gone!” Kiyo sobbed over her body, over the pooling blood, the blood draining from his wife’s body, soaking into the earth to forever paint it crimson.

“I’m sorry, Kiyo...” Kirumi’s words were punctured by a harsh cough, blood trickling from her mouth, dripping down the sides of her face. “I love you… so much… try your best, please. That would be enough.”

Kiyo continued to cry, crumpling at her side and burying his face in her neck. His hands held onto her tightly, one still on hers and the other cupping her face. His hands were shaking but warm. _Are they warm, or are my senses jumbling now?_ “Please… **stay…** like every time before..!”

“I’m so sorry, Kiyo.” Kirumi tried to offer him a smile again, but it was getting difficult. She was losing control over her body. Even the smallest movement would be too much for her to accomplish. Her vision was blurring, the world growing distant. _I’m falling… falling away from him..._ “I’m scared, too… I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

Kiyo didn’t respond; only held her tightly, laying down at her side. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Kirumi. It’s alright. I love you. Gods, I love you so…”

Kirumi’s senses were slipping. Kiyo’s words were starting to blend together. _Everything_ was starting to blend. _I don’t have much time…_

“Please… tell Seiko I love her too…” she managed to say, her voice softer than the wind’s breath. “My dear husband, and my darling child… you were all I ever needed.”

Kiyo hovered over her, trembling, tears sliding down his face and falling upon hers. As Kirumi’s vision swam, she thought she could see him smiling shakily, trying to put on a grin for her.

_To see you smile, Kiyo... that is all I would ever need._

She closed her eyes for the last time, and that was when everything stopped.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry that ending hurted ;-;
> 
> kirumi/kiyo is my absolute otp and i wish it got a LOT more love,, ahh there's so much i can write for them and i have so many dynamic thingies I want to play with!! kirukiyo stans pls rise up I want to interact with ya'll 0v0 let's love this beautiful couple together
> 
> also big dt/gift to my friend audrey for enjoying this ship and humoring me lol,, ily no homo,, we can love kirukiyo together uwuuuu


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